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Topic: 2000 Itasca Suncruiser 32V (Read 42691 times)

Kind of new to the RV world...I've rented for the past few years, but now want to own a unit so we can go away a few more times a year.I have a family of 5 (3 kids under the age of 10). I've been looking for the past month or so..Hoping now is a good time to buy (slow economy, high gas prices).Found a dealer in PA with a 2000 Suncruiser 32v with 25,000 miles. Worked him down to 44k. I kind of feel like I should be able to get to just under 40, but maybe I'm dreaming.Any thoughts on this unit and the price? The unit looks in great condition, but then again i'm not sure of what i should be checking out. Didn't appear to be any leaks

For the Ford chassis version the NADA Guide shows a low retail of $38,759 and an average retail of $46,703. The Workhorse chassis version runs about $750 less. So yes, you should be looking to buy it in the $38k range rather than $44k. I would not pay above low retail in this market. Make a firm offer and don't be afraid to walk away.

So hopefully i will get lucky and get them to come down to 38 ish. I also want to get a bumper to bumper warranty as it is a few years old and i would expect some things might break in the near future. My next question is "is it a good idea to invest in a model that is 8 years old?"...I would like to think it would last another 10 years at least without huge problems...is that a realistic expectation?

I bought a 93 in 03 and have had very little problems with it. Of course mine had a new fridge, awnings, and some other stuff. Your largest cost repair/replace items are the fridge, generator, awning(s), and furnace so make sure those are in good shape. A fridge will last generally 10 yrs., same with awnings. A generator will last forever if properly cared for.If you were going to be fulltiming I would say go for something newer but for weekends and vacations there is nothing wrong with a unit that is 8 yrs. old. You didn't say whether it had a slide or not but with the size of your family I would definitely go with a unit with a slideout.I agree with others, show the guy the NADA quote and offer him around $38,000. If he doesn't take it walk away. It is definitely a buyers market right now and he is high.

Thanks for the quick replies...The unit has 1 slide and the generator must be fairly new (only has 7 hours on it).I noticed 2 things when test driving:1) The A/C in the cab did not work2) the brakes seemed a bit soft, but maybe just because I'm not used to driving a big rig

The unit has 1 slide and the generator must be fairly new (only has 7 hours on it).I noticed 2 things when test driving:1) The A/C in the cab did not work2) the brakes seemed a bit soft, but maybe just because I'm not used to driving a big rig

A genset with only 7 hrs on it in 8 years is going to be a problem. They should be run for at least 1/2 hr every month. Did you start and run it with a load? If not, definitely run it before you go any further.

The cab air may have the same problems as the genset, if it hasn't been used that much. Only 25,000 miles in 8 yrs is a little over 3000 per year. The cab A/C can't have many hours on it and is a potential problem.

You should have the brakes looked at by a professional brake mechanic. At the very least the fluid needs to replaced and the system flushed with new fluid.

I think you should offer $35,000, in light of the potential problems above.

In addition, be sure and check the dates on the tires. I would guess they are the originals and definitely will need to be replace all around. Do not go by their appearance!

Woody & Richard gave good advice, especially on the tires. They will look fine but at 8+ years of age they are just waiting for the least opportune moment to blow out unexpectedly.

If the generator ran fine for 30 minutes under load (the a/c), then I would not worry about the lack of use. I'm surprised that it did with so few hours on it, but sometimes you get lucky.

You will have to purchase an "extended warranty" to get the coverage you want. Dealers charge a very high mark-up on them and it is a big profit item for them, so shop elsewhere for prices (online). However, you can sometimes get the dealer to sweeten the deal by throwing in the extended warranty. He'll claim it at twice its true value, so don't get mislead by his supposed generosity, but sometimes dealers are more willing to throw in things than to admit to a lower sales price. If you need a tow bar or other accessories, you might try negotiating for those as well. You may have to feel around a bit to see what works with a given dealer.

Isn't an Itasca a Winnebago?Make sure you have the brakes checked. I had the same problem when I bought my Suncruiser last year and this past weekend on the way out of town lost the brakes totally. Bad master cylinder. Everything ended ok, but it was a scarry experience to say the least. Now, I suppose they aren't all bad, but since I just lived this 3 days ago, it's still rather fresh in my mind!

I had "soft" brakes on my 93 Pace Arrow too. I took it to a truck repair shop and had the front pads rotors and one caliper replaced along with the master cylinder. Total cost was over $1500.00 and the brakes were still kind of soft. The repair place said that is just the nature of the beast because of the long brake lines to the rear. Not believing them I took it to another truck repair shop where they checked everything out that had been done and, even though they didn't care for their competitor who I had first took it to, they said the same thing.Don't get me wrong, the brakes work fine, when you stomp on them they stop the coach. Its just that the first time you apply them they seem to go down farther than on my van or pickup, if you pump them a second time the pedal is harder.

Lots of them around and pretty decent rigs. Every marque has their share of horror stories, but Winnebago/Itasca seems to do fairly well in customer reviews. And they get repeat buyers too. It's as good as any in its price range.

Does anyone have the wholesale NADA range for a 2000 Itasca suncruiser 32v?I just spoke with the salesman again and he said that an offer of 38K is a joke. They currently have it listed for 47 and i was able to get him to 44 when i spoke in person. The unit appears to be in excellent condition and only has 26000 miles, but it is still a 2000 and with gas prices...

Walk away. If the dealer insults your offer (that we know is reasonable) then you don't want to do business with them anyway. Here's the link to the NADA values (Gary posted it earlier too), where you can look up market prices on any used RV:

Don't get hung up too early on a specific make and model, unless there's some specific reason you absolutely must have a Suncruiser. There are dozens and dozens of models in the RV repertoire, and it's a buyer's market all the way around right now... and that probably will continue to be the case for quite awhile. Stick to your guns, and you'll find the perfect rig for your family!

I just spoke with the salesman again and he said that an offer of 38K is a joke

So laugh and walk away. There are lots of Itascas (and its Winnebago sister) so shop around til you find somebody who will deal. And who knows, the salesman may call you back in a few days.

Seriously, you might decide to pay a few thousand extra to save yourself the wear and tear of more shopping, but $6000 is more than a drop in the bucket in this price range. You should be able to get a newer and larger rig for $44k. A private seller would love to see your offer.

its quite possible the dealer has it on consignment too and he might call youback to accept your offer.When I bought my fifth wheel it was on consignment at a local well knownplace and they had it listed at 29,000, but my friend only wanted 12,000and I did my own deal through the bank but my friend was appalled athow much the dealer was trying to make off HIS rig. He immediately calledthem and told them he was coming to get it and canceling his consignment.Just don't allow them to pressure you because like you said, its a buyersmarket right now.

Logged

from the desert of Arizonawhere the wind blows and the tumbleweeds roll2000 Cameo fifthwheelAvaGracie and Pixie forever in my heart Bandit

At a guess, he has invested 40-60% of the NADA average value. Usually closer to 40 than 60, but sometimes dealers make mistakes too and get in deeper than they should. Many dealers, especially smaller ones, try to get within 10% of the NADA average retail. And in a small market they might get it from a local buyer - they are counting on you not shopping very far away. A savvy buyer will shop further afield and pocket the savings, but that's a personal call on your part, i.e. shopping convenience vs your dollars.

The search continuesWent to another dealer this morning and looked at a nice Winnebago Adventurer 2001 32V. Workhorse ChassisThe negatives I saw are the following:1) Little bit of bumps and bruises...but nothing major..just some scratches here and there2) Brakes seemed a bit soft3) The underbody showed some signs of rust...could see some signs of rust in by the propane tank and the underneath of some of the storage areas

The biggest issue was that when we took it for a test drive and put it in "park" it kept rolling. I'm assuming this has someting to do with the transmission. I did not notice any shifting problems while driving it. Does anyone have any advice/experience with this??

The dealers bottom line is 38K. It's on consignment.

According to the dealer they will fix the "park" issue.

Before I sign my name I wanted to check with the experts on this site.

The transmission on that chassis does not actually have a Park like on a car. It actually applies a brake to the drive shaft and it sounds as though that is malfunctioning, which is not all that unusual for that system. It can be fixed easily enough, but may happen again in a few years.

Now that you have a $38k quote from a dealer with a similar model, go back to the first dealer with the Itasca and tell him you have a better offer than his on a newer coach. Sometimes it works...

In the mean time before i move forward with the Adventurer I just want to clarify a few things in my head.1) You don't feel like the rolling while in "park" is a concern. It was also rolling with the emergency brake on so i'm guessing the emergency brake needs some adjustment as well.2) Are signs of some underbody rust a concern at all? It wasn't real bad, but somewhat noticeable...especially near the propane tank3) one thing i forgot to mention...when i was examing the outside of the coach there were 2 buldges a bit bigger then the size of a softball...they were not below any windows so i don't think it is a sign of delaminating, but i could be wrong. I pushed on the 2 spots and it didn't seem to be soft or anything..maybe just dents?

thank you so much for your replies...you are a wealth of knowledge and i'm glad that you are willing to share it

I believe the park and emergency brake are one and the same in that particular chassis (which I'm guessing is the P30/P32 rather than the W series Workhorse). The brake is readily repairable and separate from the transmission, so is not a concern from that point of view. It is, however, a trouble prone component and therefore a slight drawback in choosing that particular coach.

As for the rust, yes I would be somewhat concerned. In addition to the nuisance of dealing with it, it may indicate the rig was used extensively near salt water or driven in winter conditions on salted roads. RVs generally don't fare well when subjected to that sort of thing.

The two small bulges would also concern me. They may not be from window leaks, but they are almost certainly delamination from what you describe.

This coach may not be a good bet, but may help you bargain for the other one.

...3) one thing i forgot to mention...when i was examing the outside of the coach there were 2 buldges a bit bigger then the size of a softball...they were not below any windows so i don't think it is a sign of delaminating, but i could be wrong. I pushed on the 2 spots and it didn't seem to be soft or anything..maybe just dents?...

good point...i believe they were going out...they were not very noticeable...had to kind of see it at an angle.

The dealer i am working with also does body work...I think i will ask that the 2 bumps are taken care of as part of the deal...will also ask them to reseal the roof and new caulking on all the doors/windows/vents/etc

be firm on your offer. if you are planning to finance some of the money, ask the bank you are dealing with for the price on the extended warranty, lots of banks sell them and make no proffit on them, and make sure it covers appliances as well as the chasis and structure, you will be surprised about the price difference, and don`t be afraid about asking the dealer to fix any major problems and replacing all tires if they are aut of date. it is there responsability to sell you a coach with good tires. just hold on and be firm and have patience. if they do buisness like that they don`t sell coaches every day. they should kiss your feet by just showing at the door. Please make sure everything works, plug it in and let the fridge work for a whole day if you have to before you sign. It`s your money, not there`s and you work hard for it.